Shutter Stories: My 2011 in Analogue

The year is nearly over, so I think its time for all of us to take a look back at the events, achievements, and adventures (or misadventures, even) that defined our 2011. Let me share with you my 2011 in analogue.

I remember telling everyone how 2010 was my annus horribilis, and how I could hardly wait for the next year to start. I was so eager to make it one for starting over, and the first few days of 2011 seemed to have given me the signs I was looking for. To quote myself in the first blog post I had written for 2011 :

“The first days of 2011 felt refreshing and liberating–most likely because I decided to free myself from things that burden me right before 2010 ended. It was like sleeping and waking up on a bed with fresh and crisp sheets. Or opening a new notebook with clean, blank pages. I haven’t felt this free in a long time.”

Now, will you join me as I look at the events that defined my 2011 in analogue photos?

Since January is my birth month, I always have a perfect excuse to start the year right by traveling! Since last year, I decided to make it a point to go somewhere to celebrate my birthday. This year, I went to the beautiful islands of Coron in the province of Palawan. It’s paradise on earth, so I feel so blessed to have blown my birthday candles in such a special place. You can read more about my travels in Shutter Stories: The Coron Sojourn and Fun in the Sun in Coron, Palawan!

Another experience that I treasure most is getting inside (and taking photos of) the Manila Metropolitan Theatre, which still stands after decades of ruin and mismanagement. I always pass by this old theater whenever I go around Manila, but I never knew how it looked inside, until that fateful day in February. It was built in the 1930s, but was severely damaged during the World War II bombing of Manila. The Americans helped rebuild it, but it was eventually neglected in the 1960s. It was subjected to meticulous restoration in the late 1970s, but it once again fell into the deplorable state of disrepair that it continues to suffer from to this day. It’s a beautiful historical landmark that I was fortunate to visit, even if it remains in ruins up to the present.

This year was a good one for me in terms of photo walks and food trips! Despite being out of the workforce, March was one of my busiest months, because of several potluck picnics and photowalks that I attended with my film photography buddies. We even organized a moustache picnic partey and took wacky photos of each other wearing funny moustaches. Food + Film + Friends = Awesome!

I have always wanted to go to the guided tour of famous Manila tour guide Carlos Celdran, who calls himself the “Pied Piper of Manila.” He is known for his theatrical rendition of Philippine History as he takes tourists around the famous landmarks of Manila. But, his tour comes with quite a hefty price for a cheapskate like me, so I used to say ‘next time’ all the time. But when he announced that he was holding a “barter tour” one afternoon in April, some of my film photography buddies and I thought we should go. In exchange for his tour, we gave him some handmade postcards (using our lomographs!) and other stuff, which he said he liked!

May was another significant month for me for two things: joining Lomography’s roster of writer-editors for the Magazine and trying out the iconic LC-A+ for the first time. I was finally able to borrow one for a test, to prepare myself for the LC-A+ that I was planning to get in the coming months. I was not disappointed with my first few photos; they only got me more excited to get my very own Lucy the LC-A+!

The annual Philippine Toys, Hobbies, and Collectibles Convention (ToyCon) is something that I look forward to and make sure I never miss once June comes in. This year, I was finally able to capture the convention’s interesting people, exhibits, and goodies in film! You can read more about it here!

One rainy evening in mid-June, I found a cute kitten roaming around the office grounds. He was cold, dirty, and obviously hungry. I picked him up, went inside the office, and told everyone, “Hey, look what I found!” As we were all cat lovers in the office, everyone immediately flocked to the little guy, cleaned him up, and gave him something to eat. We named him Koko. He was taken home by one of my officemates. He started frequenting the office in July and became the official Office Kitty. Look at how tiny and adorable he was!

Lomography Manila’s first out-of-town trip together was not at all a pleasant experience. We planned the trip and booked our tickets and lodgings early, but it was foiled by a storm that centered on our destination! Upon reaching Baguio, we were welcomed by heavy rains, thick fog, and fierce winds! We hardly had the chance to get out, so these are my only film photos from the trip, taken in a popular retro-esque restaurant called 50’s Diner.

The Boyfriend and I were invited by one of his closest friends to take analogue photos during his wedding in September. Of course, we obliged, and decided that the photos would be our gifts to them. Here are some of the best photos from the collection.

A nice Ricoh FF-20 Wide Zoom was among my awesome photography finds/buys this year. I took it out for a test during some night-outs with some office buddies and friends sometime in October. Here are some of the photos taken using an expired roll of Kodak Ultramax 400. Why are they ridden with flecks and scratches? Continue reading to find out!

Yes, these photos are from the same roll loaded in my Ricoh FF-20 Wide Zoom. They look flecked and scratched because I processed them myself, but I was a bit careless while drying the negative and didn’t clean the scanner thoroughly. But at last, I learned how to process my own color negatives using C41 chemicals before the year ended! Also, I was fortunate to have tried shooting around Manila with Lomography’s very own movie camera, the LomoKino! Watch my LomoKino movie and read about it here!

Last year, I was invited by Erin (basterda) to join Whilst We Wait, her photography project which, as the name suggests, centered on waiting. It involved taking film photographs but nothing was developed until a year later. To document our wait, we wrote letters and made drawings each month. Everything was finally unveiled to the public during the much-awaited Whilst We Wait exhibit held on December 10th, presented by Lomography Manila. It was a huge success, and I’m glad I was able to take part in the project and help in setting up everything as well!

How about you, what defined your 2011? I’d like to hear about it!

As film photographers, our photos become part of our journey through everyday life. For this year’s series, our Lomographers encapsulate their trials, joys and the various highlights of their lives in 2011. Read more articles on the Year Ender series.

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